


smoke and lipstick

by ElasticElla



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Drinking, F/F, Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-12 23:41:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3359648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElasticElla/pseuds/ElasticElla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Caitlin’s first attempt to ‘get a life’ doesn’t go very well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	smoke and lipstick

**Author's Note:**

> for the first monthly challenge: colors

Caitlin’s first attempt to ‘get a life’ doesn’t go very well. While Barry ends up with a cute lady’s phone number, she ends up vomiting over her toilet the following morning and hoping half her memories are fabricated. And then she finds herself thinking Barry’s attractive, and _wow_ she really does need to get out more. Maybe she should have taken the dream about Cisco a few weeks back as a warning rather than a fluke. 

She is most definitely spending too much of her time thinking about or at Star Labs. 

Tonight they were all going out for drinks to celebrate recapturing Hartley. Cisco in particular was thrilled and in his element, telling tales to two entranced listeners that seemed to edge closer with every sentence. Linda had showed up an hour in, and Caitlin excused herself claiming to need a bit of fresh air. 

To be fair, she did. Fun as the bar was, it was almost sticky and the air felt stale. She sits on the curb, and her purse slips down her shoulder, falling open. The small shiny box of cigarettes glints in the dim light. The dark green box is tempting, light and easy in her hand. She lights up a moment later, the taste familiar and motions comforting. 

She watches the smoke coil in the air, and thinks she _will_ talk to someone new tonight. Preferably someone cute with a boring name and life that she’ll never see again. Someone she can pretend that if things were different she’d go for, that she won't see ghosts over their shoulder.

“Caitlin? The guys said you were out here,” a happy voice says, and one Felicity Smoak is giving her a hug. 

“Hey! Sorry I didn’t know you were coming by.” 

Felicity waves it off, “It was a surprise for me too. I thought you quit?”

Caitlin can’t help but smirk around a drag, “How do you know I’m not just starting?” 

“One- you lent me a tampon a few months ago and I saw cigarettes in your purse, and two, you’re breathing far too normally for a first-timer. Not that I regularly observe people smoking.”

“Guilty,” Caitlin says with a laugh. “I used to be so serious about not going back to it, but… well, it’s easier to hold that promise when my life doesn’t seem to be in danger almost regularly.” 

“That makes sense,” Felicity says, closing her eyes.

“Sorry, is the smoke bothering you? I’ll be inside in a minute, you don’t have to wait out here.” 

“The opposite actually, but I’ll be fine, thank you. I just need to not steal the cigarette out of your really loose grip.” 

“No,” Caitlin accused, a wide grin on her face, “not the widely acclaimed Ms. Smoak!” 

“See? Last name doesn’t help,” Felicity joked, running a hand through her hair. “It’s been a while, I only smoked back in my rebelling against the system days.”

“Yeah?” Caitlin asks, finishing off her cigarette.

“Oh yeah- nothing says hactivism like pot and cigarettes and terrible alcohol. Retrospectively I’m amazed we got anything done. It’s probably for the best that we weren’t sober, we would have made a lot more problems.” 

Caitlin nods, not really having a response to that. “Wanna head back in?”

“Sure, Linda says I have to hear Barry sing. Did you know he sang?” 

Caitlin groans, holding the door open, “Unfortunately. After five drinks I am not to be trusted on karaoke night.”

Felicity laughs, the now overly crowded bar smothering the sound. She turns and says by Caitlin’s ear, “I wish I’d been there.” 

Felicity grabs her hand, bringing her to a new table- a large circular booth. Barry and Linda are sharing a big blue margarita, Cisco has upped his pretty admirers to three, and Iris is practically in Oliver’s lap. She and Felicity both squeeze in next to Barry and Linda, and she tries not to think about how coupley everyone is nor Felicity’s hand still holding hers. 

“Diggle left?” Felicity asks.

Oliver nods, and Iris adds in, “And I quote ‘you kids are going to have a terrible hangover.’”

Felicity snorts, and turns to Caitlin whispering, “Dig gets the worst hangovers. Once I had to switch Red in because he couldn’t run.” 

Caitlin shakes her head, muttering, “Men.” Her cheeks are flushed and she really needs a distraction before she does something silly. The waitress comes then saving her with a partly sincere smile. 

“Can I get you guys anything else?” 

“Buffalo wings! Three orders?” Barry half asks, looking around the table. Linda has her eyebrows raised and clearly hasn’t realized how much he eats yet, and Iris saves him. 

“That sounds delicious. And can I get another hurricane please?” 

Felicity turns to her, lips by her ear again, “Want to split one of the big margaritas?” 

“Strawberry?” Caitlin says, more due to Felicity’s shampoo, but Felicity smiles widely and she likes strawberry anyways. Cisco’s finishing off a rather long food order, and she should maybe be paying attention, but Felicity’s still in her bubble- and it’s _Felicity_. The blonde turns, and Caitlin realizes Cisco must have finished the giant order for Barry’s benefit. 

“We’d like to split the large strawberry margarita, sugar instead of salt, some mozzarella sticks, and a pitcher of water for the table please?” 

The waitress gets it all, parroting it back before disappearing. Cisco’s giving her a curious look, and she really hopes her returning look is _not a word_. If it is, it doesn’t translate for Iris. 

“Are you two…?” she makes a vague hand gesture, and Caitlin is definitely blushing again. She knows there’s old drama between a lot of them, and she’s really, _really_ hoping it isn’t about to come out. 

“Iris!” Linda says, scandalized, “You can’t just ask that!” 

And if Caitlin had any remaining worries about Barry moving too fast with a girl he just met a few days ago, they evaporate- because Linda is _great_. The table falls into a discussion on when it’s socially acceptable to ask if two people are fucking, and one of Cisco’s new friends- Jordan- has a lot of opinions on the matter. The waitress comes back with their drinks and the table slips into a new discussion on some recent sports game. 

Felicity slides their ridiculously large and bright pink beverage between them, and Caitlin shouldn’t be thinking about how well it matches Felicity’s lipstick, or if it’ll smear.

“We could y’know, if you were interested,” Felicity murmurs quietly before taking a big gulp. She grabs a cup of water, downing a third, saying, “That is _really_ sweet.” 

Caitlin takes a smaller sip for her nerves, and is glad all the others seem engrossed in their conversation. “I’d like that.” 

“Really?” Felicity says, a shade too loud, “Sorry I just wasn’t expecting that- I mean, usually there’s a whole we shouldn’t do this or whatever moment or something. Not that that’s needed- I’m _really_ happy it isn’t. Really, like I’d kiss you but I’m not sure how you feel about pda or if you’re out or-”

Caitlin grins and kisses the pair of bright pink lips, “Me too.” 

There are some wolf-whistles that break them out of the moment, but Felicity’s wide grin more than makes up for it. “Tomorrow, lets get dinner.” 

Caitlin nods, and the food comes- and Felicity's hand stays in hers for the rest of the evening.


End file.
